List of black college football classics: Difference between revisions

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This is a list of black college football classics which take place between historically black colleges and universities which compete in college football in the United States. Unlike bowl games, classics take place during college football's regular season; they are often accompanied by entertaining battle of the bands, parades, tailgating, concerts and are often played at neutral sites. The classics annually attract large crowds of alumni, fans and spectators, along with high media interest and corporate sponsorships.

Most HBCUs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level or below in college football, but because of the commitments of some universities (especially SWAC and MEAC schools), they forgo the opportunity to play in a national playoff system.

Classic Name	Location	Year Established	Notes
Atlanta Football Classic	Atlanta, GA	1989	Formerly an annual game between two HBCU football teams. The event was cancelled after the 2014 season.
Battle of the Bay	Hampton Roads, VA	1962	Annual game between two schools in different portions of the Hampton Roads area—Hampton University on the "Peninsula" and Norfolk State University on the "Southside". Unlike many HBCU classics, this game alternates between the two schools' home fields.
Battle of the Firsts	Philadelphia, PA	2009	Game between Cheyney University and Lincoln University, held the first week of the season on a neutral site in Philadelphia. The "first" also refers to the schools being among the first HBCUs; Cheyney was the first four-year institution established for African Americans and Lincoln was the third.
Bayou Classic	New Orleans, LA	1974	Annual game between Southern University and Grambling State University held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and televised on NBC.
Biker's Classic	Nashville, TN	2006	Annual game featuring Tennessee State University
Capital City Classic AKA The Soul Bowl	Jackson, MS & Lorman, MS	1945	Annual game between Alcorn State University and Jackson State University held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It traditionally rotated back and forth between Jackson and Lorman until 1993. From 1993-2011 it was held each year at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson but starting in 2012 the game began to rotate between there and Jack Spinks Stadium on the Alcorn State campus in Lorman. In a document published on the Alcorn State website University President M. Christopher Brown II and interim athletic director Dwayne White informally dubbed the game the "Soul Bowl”.^[1]
Capital City Football Classic	Sacramento, CA	2008	Annual game in September played in Northern California.
Chicago Football Classic	Chicago, IL	1997	Annual game in September played at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Circle City Classic	Indianapolis, IN	1983	Annual game takes place the first weekend in October
Commemorative Classic	Charlotte, NC		Annual game between Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University
Cleveland Classic	Cleveland, OH	2011	Annual game in September played at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland
Community Youth Bowl	Richmond, VA	2002	Annual game featuring Virginia Union University
CSRA Football Classic	Augusta, GA	1992
Dallas Lone Star Classic	Dallas, TX	2008, 2009	A game that featured University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Texas Southern University played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas
Dayton Classic	Dayton, OH	2005	Annual game featuring Central State University
Delta Classic	Little Rock, AR	2006	Annual game featuring the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Down East Classic	Rocky Mount, NC	1998	Annual game featuring Elizabeth City State University
Druid City Classic	Tuscaloosa, AL	2002	Annual game featuring Stillman College
Fish Bowl	Norfolk, VA	1948	Annual game featuring Norfolk State University
Florida Classic	Orlando, FL	1979	Annual game between Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University, televised on ESPNU
Ford Detroit Football Classic	Detroit, MI	2002	A game that featured MEAC and SWAC teams. The classic was cancelled after the 2007 season.
Fountain City Classic	Columbus, GA	1989	Annual game between Albany State University and Fort Valley State University
Gateway Classic	Jacksonville, FL	1953	Annual game featuring Bethune-Cookman University
Gateway Classic	St. Louis, MO	1993
Gold Bowl	Richmond, VA	1976	Annual game originally featuring regular season champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference & Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Subsequent games now feature Virginia Union University
HBCU Classic	Greenville, SC	2005
Jackson State–Southern rivalry (Boombox Classic)	Jackson, MS and Baton Rouge, LA	1958	Annual game featuring the Jackson State Tigers and the Southern Jaguars.
Joe Turner Classic	Savannah, GA	1993	Annual game featuring the Tigers of Savannah State University
John Merritt Classic	Nashville, TN	1999	Annual game featuring Tennessee State University
Labor Day Classic (Texas)	Houston, TX	1985	Annual classic game featuring Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University on Labor Day weekend. The football rivalry between the Texas schools began in 1946.
MEAC/SWAC Challenge	Orlando, FL	2005	Televised nationally on ESPN2
Magic City Classic	Birmingham, AL	1940	Annual game between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University. It is the highest attended HBCU football classic in the nation.^[2]^[3]
Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic	Columbus, GA	1935	Annual game between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University
Nation's Football Classic	Washington, DC	2011	Formerly an annual game between Howard University and Morehouse College. Beginning Fall 2015, this classic will feature the Howard Bisons versus the Hampton Pirates.
Palmetto Capital City Classic	Columbia, SC	2001	Annual game featuring Benedict College
Port City Classic	Shreveport, LA	2010	A game that featured the Grambling State University Tigers
Prince George's Classic	Bowie, MD	2004	The first PG Classic was played by Howard University and Alcorn State University. The second was played by Morgan State University and North Carolina A&T. Subsequent games (2006, 2007 and 2008) featured Bowie State University as the home team.
Rivalry Classic	Charlotte, NC		Annual game between North Carolina A&T State University and South Carolina State University
Southern Heritage Classic	Memphis, TN	1990	Annual game between Tennessee State University and Jackson State University
State Fair Classic	Dallas, TX	1925	Annual game between Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University, held during the State Fair of Texas
Steel City Classic	Birmingham, AL	2000	Annual game between Stillman College and Miles College
Texas Southern-Southern Rivalry (Murk City Classic)	Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA	1955	Annual game between Texas Southern and Southern University.
Turkey Day Classic	Montgomery, AL	1924	Annual game between Tuskegee University and Alabama State University held on Thanksgiving Day
Wade Wilson Classic	Cheyney,PA/Philadelphia,PA	circa 1970's	Annual game featuring Cheyney University
Willie E. Gary Classic	Jacksonville, FL	2001	Annual game between Edward Waters College and Shaw University
Whitney M. Young Classic also known as the New York Urban League Classic	East Rutherford, NJ	1970	Annual game held at MetLife Stadium

References

[1] Jackson, Miss. to Lose Capital City Classic in 2012

[2] ttp://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/12/magic_city_classic_ranks_tops.html

[3] ttp://hbculifestyle.com/top-5-hbcu-classics-2014/

[1]

[2]

[3]

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 |[[Detroit|Detroit, MI]]
 |2002
+|A game that featured [[Mideastern Athletic Conference|MEAC]] and [[Soutwestern Athletic Conference|SWAC]] teams.  The classic was cancelled after the 2007 season.
-|
 |-
 |[[Fountain City Classic]]

Revision as of 01:18, 8 September 2015

See also

References